Letters Received From Corps. J.M. Newton, J.G. Surratt, Feb. 5, 1919

From the Hickory Daily Record, Feb. 5, 1919

Corporal Newton Writes

Corporal J.M. Newton in a letter to his brother, Mr. H.C. Newton, under date of January 13, gives home folks his first description of Ypres, Bellicourt and the Hindenburg line, which the 30^th division took in such grand style. The young man passed through it all without a scratch, but there were times when the shells fell so thickly about him that he would have sold his chances of living for a song. It was fearful.

The division did not join the American army until after the armistice, and the “Old Hickory” boys fought with the British and the 27^th (New York) division, incidentally taking Bussigny and retaking it after the New York boys had been forced back.

The Australians, according to Corporal Newton, are crack soldiers, and he likes them. The Scotch are also to his notion.

The Hickory boy spent 24 hours in Paris along in October as he was on his way to a school, where he remained until the guns stopped firing.

From Corp. Surratt

Mr. and Mrs. J.C. Surratt of Hickory have just received a letter from their son, Corporal John Guthrie Surratt of the 105^th infantry train, 30^th division, under date of January 15, in which he says he is well and feeling good and he always says he feels good.

He says the understanding there then, was that his division would start to the coast somewhere between the 20^th and the 25^th of January to embark for the good old U.S.A. He thinks they will land sometime in February in the states but warns his parents not to worry if he does not arrive home so early. He says he will be home soon and “oh what a time it will be” when he does get home.

He says he has not had a scratch or been sick a minute since he landed in France the first of June, 1918. He says he does not like that country as he does the good old states.